Murali Vijay has been one of the best performers for India in recent Test matches, but injury has forced him to stay out of the playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. He was one of the few Indian players who managed to make a mark in a bleak series against Down Under, but has failed to recover from a hamstring injury in time for the opening Test versus the Lankans.
Vijay trained separately from the team in order to make a recovery before the beginning of the game, but will now be forced to sit out. He is expected to be replaced by KL Rahul at the top of the order, who will be partnered by Shikhar Dhawan and will be looking to make the most of this opportunity.
The Indian team director Ravi Shastri said, “Murali Vijay is still under recovery and we don’t want to take a chance on him for the first Test. Especially with conditions like this (rain on and off), the ground might be slippery.”
Shastri also stated that Vijay’s absence will be a loss to the team, as he is an experienced player and also in great form.
Photo courtesy – ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images
